In a conference call with reporters this afternoon, Pat Toomey pushed back against Joe Sestak’s latest television ad — which is not yet online — featuring the Congressman cleaning up after his dog, and likening it to the work he’s done in Congress to address a depressed economy he blames on Toomey.
“It’s amazing that Joe Sestak would claim he hated voting for bailouts when you consider his record,” Toomey told reporters. “Not only did he vote for all the bailouts,” said Toomey, but Sestak characterized them one of those votes as the “most consequential” of his career to that point.
Further, said Toomey, “Joe Sestak voted against a bi-partisan effort to end TARP,” the $700 billion dollar program put into place by President George W. Bush. “He even introduced his own bailout bill,” said Toomey, “he would have required taxpayers to bail out underwater mortgages.”
Toomey characterized Sestak’s anti-bailout posturing as “ridiculous,” and cited his own time in congress from 1999 to 2005 representing the Lehigh Valley as evidence of his efforts to head off the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by requiring more stringent oversight and regulation.
Battle ‘10 covered Toomey’s policy speech on this subject earlier this week.
The “cute little dog,” in Sestak’s commercial, joked Toomey, “is [it’s] most redeeming feature.”
Shifting gears somewhat to address another Sestak charge — that Toomey is keen on cozying up to China — Toomey said he didn’t view a fight with the Chinese over their currency manipulation as a long term economic fix.
“It’s not a panacea,” said Toomey, emphasizing a need “to strengthen our own business in the United States so we can compete.” Toomey said he didn’t regard a currency dispute with the Chinese as a “miraculous solution” as does Sestak.
Briefly addressing the latest news on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Toomey was calculated, saying he would favor repeal, but only “if the military indicated it could execute its mission as well or better in the absence of DADT”.
Update: Here’s the ad, from Joe Sestak’s campaign. Note that it’s not publicly listed on YouTube. Afraid to get their hands dirty?